God, one of the last chapters. I really can't believe it! Again, thank you ALL for supporting me; I didn't get a single bad review! You guys have all been awesome, and I hope you'll stick with me as the madness continues in my Seifer story (not telling title yet -coughcough-)! Everyone rocks, to put it in short. Y'all put up with me, even when I rambled or when I had no idea where the story was going. Okay, enough mush, and let's get on with the show! (Then again, mush is what you came for, huh?)

Chapter 18: Dreaming

The room was dark, quiet, and very, very full. Squall had just sat up in a small and sterile hospital bed, glancing about him. To his right was Selphie, curled up in a ball and sucking her thumb, and Irvine, staring up at the ceiling with his legs crossed. To his left was Zell, snoring at an incredible volume, and Quistis, sleeping naturally and quietly. He calculated fuzzily, he had been given something that had dimmed his thinking. It seemed to have been just a few hours, or a day. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary... except that he was in a hospital gown!

"What the?" he cried, leaping out of bed and staring angrily at the garb he was in. Irvine turned his head quickly and grinned.

"Seen your new look?" he snickered. Squall frowned at him, then attempted to pull it further down. Irvine kept quietly chuckling. "Don't let Rinoa see you in that! Oh, really," he said, watching Squall give him an evil glare, "it's not that bad. As soon as you heal up, you can get your weirdo regular clothes back." Squall frowned again, then crawled back into his bed and pulled the covers up to his neck.

"I hate you," he muttered, and Irvine chuckled again.

"Thanks, me too." He sighed again and stared at the ceiling.

"How long've we been here?" he asked. Irvine shrugged.

"A day or so." He grinned. "You're pretty good at getting knocked out."

"Shut up," Quistis murmured. "You can admire your damned dresses later, just shut up and let people who are tired get some sleep!" A high-pitched giggle was heard, and Zell mumbled a quiet "Whazzagoinon?" It was now clear that everyone was awake.

"What are you guys doing up?" Selphie asked, decked out in her own hospital gown.

"Dunno, I was awake, then he woke up," Irvine said, shrugging. "What are you doing up?"

"A certain random someone couldn't bother to shut up while we were sleeping?" Quistis snapped.

"Well, we all learned something," Zell said. Everyone turned to look at him. "Quistis gets really pissed if you wake her up while she's sleeping." He got hit in the head with a pillow, thrown by none other than Quistis. All of them laughed, including Squall, surprising himself and the others.

"What's going on here?" a motherly woman snapped, standing in the doorway. She wore a long dress, not unlike the hospital gowns, and had a very large and unusual hat on her head. "You all should be asleep; wounds need to heal for more than a day!" With no apparent reaction of horror from her patients, she continued: "You'll wake the others, and they need sleep as well!"

"Others?" Squall asked, one of the many questions he had in mind, such as: "Why am I in a dress?" "Who put me in this dress?" "What the HELL do you have on your head?"

"Yes, the young ladies and other gentleman; he needs quite a bit of rest! Icicle to the chest, wonder hit didn't kill him!" she clucked, turning around. Squall was quite irritated now.

"What young ladies? What other gentleman?" he forced through his teeth.

"The only girls here besides Miss Sunshine and Pinky and the boy in the white; do you need a full-body description?" she snapped, turning around at the sound of quiet footsteps.

"No, he doesn't, he'll get it soon." Behind the woman was a small, thin figure in a thin white nightgown. Her long, scraggly hair fell down to her waist, and her body still looked pinched and thin. "We're all right, I'm sorry." The nurse frowned and walked, no, waddled out as Ashimoka took her usual place at the foot of Squall's bed.

"You're here too?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Well, I have no place to go except to hang with you guys!" She smiled and rubbed the scars across her nose. "We're three of a kind, now!" Squall frowned again.

"Three?"

"Yeah, me, you, and Seifer!" Squall jumped half a foot.

"Seifer? That sorry bastard?"

"He's not a bad guy!" Ashimoka explained, leaping off his bed. "He's just in the other room!"

"I'll kill him," Squall said, pulling back the covers, but from a snort of laughter from Ashimoka he slid back in. "You're lucky I can't get out," he glared at her. She kept laughing until she was on the ground clutching her stomach.

"OH, REALLY!" the matron-ly woman cried. "GET SOME SLEEP!"

"I'm with her," Quistis growled. Squall grinned and rolled over.

"Get to bed, Ashimoka. And keep away from Seifer!" he said, closing his eyes though not quite falling asleep. He felt the weight on his bed shift, and he sighed quietly. The sounds of muffled breathing and turning soothed him. Though he wished to stay up and think about current events, he fell asleep anyways. It was quiet, and for the first time in years, the night was not pierced by a werewolf's howl.

The morning brought a quiet cheerfulness as Irvine sat up. Quistis was gone, and so was Selphie. Zell was standing in the middle of the room, doing things he called "exercise", but what Irvine called "a doctor's bill waiting to happen". In the middle of a painful looking stretch, he paused.

"Sup? Everyone's at Town Hall. I tried waking him up," he pointed at Squall, "but he just woke up long enough to pull on his clothes and crawl back in bed. Even Rinoa tried, but he's just zonked." He laughed again, then started out. "You'll probably have better luck." Irvine grinned, then left briefly to pull on his clothes.

"Mmphhhhhh," Squall murmured, rolling over. Irvine walked back in and smiled evilly.

"Wake up, there's a scorpion crawling on your face!" he crowed. Squall leapt out of bed and smacked himself in the face. Irvine rolled on the floor laughing, his cowboy hat falling unceremoniously onto the floor. As soon as they had both calmed down, Squall got dressed and picked up his gunblade.

"So at Town Hall?"

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe the crowd; you can see 'em from all the way down here!" Irvine laughed, stowing his gun in his cloak. "We'd better go; they sent the announcement about a half-hour ago!" Squall sighed and walked to the door, passing a room with the door firmly shut. As soon as Irvine pulled open the front door, Rinoa came hurtling through, smacking into him and glancing backwards.

"Oh…" she panted, "You… two are… awake!" She clutched at her chest, trying to breathe. "They're… starting in five… minutes… we'd better… get down there…"

"We're not running," Squall grinned. "Catch your breath. We'll go when you're ready."

"Uh, actually…" Irvine started, pushing past Rinoa to the door with a smirk on his face, "I'm leaving now. Can't be late, y'know. See ya!" he cried, sprinting down the road. "Oh, sh-" he snapped, gun banging loudly against his foreleg. Squall grinned.

"Well… you okay?" he asked. Rinoa shrugged and grinned back.

"I'll… live." She began to breathe regularly again, and straightened up. "I feel okay now. Shall we go?" she asked, turning around. Squall nodded quietly and shut the door behind them, setting off at a slow pace.

"So… Seifer lived?" Squall asked nervously. It was too quiet, too… alone. Rinoa nodded wordlessly and stopped briefly. Squall kept walking, until he realized that she was several feet behind him. Turning to face her, he motioned towards the center of the town. "We should get going. Are you feeling- urk!" he stopped as Rinoa grabbed him round the neck and hugged tightly. "You're… squeezing…"

"You're okay, I always knew you would be! But that doesn't keep me from being frightened!" she sobbed, pulling tighter. "You pushed me out of the way when Griever was attacking! You told me… y'know, and I never repaid you! You've saved me so many times… I can't thank you enough!" Squall sighed and awkwardly patted her head.

"It's… uh, okay. You're fine." Rinoa sniffled a little and nodded, letting go and trying to regain her bouncy self-order.

"So, shall we go?" she tried to grin, flushing a little bit. Squall nodded, and they regained walking, quietly. They were distanced, not too close, yet not too far. Oh, thank God she let go of me… Squall thought to himself. I was worried she wasn't going to let me go… Wait, was I sympathetic enough? What if she hates me now? Why am I so stupid? Squall kept walking, mumbling to himself, not even noticing the impending doom approaching him. "Squall, watch out!" he heard, and looked up, just in time to see himself walk right into the end of a podium and flop onto the edge of the stage, much to the amusement of Zell and Selphie. They were already in the town center, and Squall had just crash landed onto the stage where the ceremony was taking place. The entire crowd was silent, watching Squall lay there like a slug, absolutely bewildered. Finally, Rinoa hopped onto the stage and pulled him to his feet, face screwed up as if she was caught between laughing and frowning. As soon as he rose, there was more awkward silence, until…

"The great champions of our town!" the mayor shouted uncertainly, as if it was impossible that the klutz standing in front of him had saved the town from the wolves. Almost instantly, the crowd cheered in approval as Squall rubbed the red spot forming on his cheek where he had flopped onto the stage. Quistis smiled sheepishly, Selphie jumped up and down (shaking the whole stage), and Zell put on his bad boy attitude. Only Irvine didn't seem to react to the applause, standing quietly and leaning on his gun.

"Three cheers for the warriors!" a young girl cried out, grinning slightly. When Squall looked closer, he saw it was Ashimoka. The entire town rung out in joyous cheers, and a few little children added their own shouts, such as "Hallelujah", "Amen", and "Heep, heep, hooway!"

"These brave heroes had the courage to go up against the one controlling how the werewolves acted! They were brave and smart…" Squall tuned out slightly, looking around at the crowd. There were only three familiar faces: Ashimoka, the old fat guy from the inn, and… Squall started slightly and peered harder. At the back, hair graying slightly, stood his father, Laguna Loire. He gave his son a thumbs up, grinning in that way only Laguna could. "…And so," the mayor continued, "We, the city, award you with these medals!" Another wave of cheers and applause broke through. "For Irvine Kinneas!" he cried, motioning for him to step forward. As soon as he was up front, he took off his hat and bowed slightly, so that the 5' mayor could reach his 6' length.

"Irvine, the Valliant!" the mayor crowed, placing it about his neck. Irvine grinned and stuck his hat back on his head, stepping backwards as Selphie stepped forwards. "Selphie, the Courageous!" the mayor said, easily slipping the chain around her head. "Quistis, the Wise!" "Zell, the Bold!" Finally, the four stood backwards, grinning at each other and their new medals. Now, the mayor put on a completely different tone.

"These next three are the most important. They were the ones who defeated Ultimecia, and her band of werewolves. First is Lady Rinoa Caraway, daughter of the late General Caraway. Her father was lost to the wolves a little more or less than a few weeks ago. She played an important part, though not a battler. From what I've heard, she is the one who gave the others the strength to fight." He pulled out a large medallion and placed it around her neck. "Lady Rinoa, the Life. The Life of these people, this young man included." He smiled at Squall. "The life of their will to battle." Rinoa nodded and stepped backwards slightly, shying away from the crowd.

"Seifer Almasy." The crowd whispered slightly, and Squall's eyes narrowed. A cowed looking and quiet Seifer slowly dragged himself onstage, bandages circling his chest. His overcoat dragged on the ground as he clenched his teeth from the pain. "Yes, he is a werewolf. But it was he that made it possible for Ultimecia to die. For that, I award you this medal." Instead of having him wear it, he held it high for all to see, then placed it in his hand. "Seifer, the Strong. You are what made this town's peace possible. In front of everyone, I wish to let it be known that you are welcome in this town. You are the first werewolf we will accept, along with your friends. May we live in peace together." Seifer nodded, then collapsed onto the stage. The matron woman ran onto the stage, still wearing her ridiculous hat, and hauled him off the stage. It made Squall wonder about him. It must have taken his last strength, to climb up on the stage, Squall thought.

"Finally, Sir Squall Loire." Squall stepped forward slightly. "You were the victor. You defeated her. You plunged your blade through her heart. For that, the entire town thanks you. Your medal says something different. Rinoa here helped me inscribe it." Rinoa sheepishly smiled. "It says… here, you read it." Squall peered at it, eyes widening slightly.

"Squall, the Lion, the Griever. Squall, the Leonhart." He smiled at Rinoa, then put it on. "Thank you," he whispered, looking with pride at Ashimoka and his father.

"Our heroes!" the mayor yelled, to a roar of approval from the crowd.

"Mayor Deiling," the matron began, hoisting Seifer to his feet and supporting him. For an old woman, she was strong. "Almasy needs to get back to the wing. He's tired."

"Oh, yes, of course. Just a moment." He turned to the others and whispered. "The rest is mainly town-based. You can leave if you want," he said. Squall nodded.

"Of course," he said. Together, they walked off the stage, leaving the crowd murmuring in quiet amusement.

"I can't believe Squall made a fool of himself in public!" Zell laughed, walking along with the air of one who just was crowned king of Spain.

"Yeah, usually it's your job," Squall snapped to the amusement of Selphie.

"Hey… hey guys, wait up!" a voice called. Soon, Ashimoka came puffing up to them, hands on her knees in exhaustion. "You guys did well, we're proud of you."

"We?" To answer Quistis's question, Squall's father meandered up to the group, hand rubbing the back of his neck. He stood awkwardly, almost as if he had half a mind to run in the opposite direction. After several moments of slight anxiety and tension, he raised his eyes to look at Squall, light green eyes lacking their usual glint. He smiled slightly, then looked away again.

"Squall," he said, the grey hairs glinting in the sun, "you… you looked like your mother, up there on the platform. She… would have been proud." Squall's necklace seemed to twitch as if in agreement as Squall glared at Laguna. Their eyes met, one pair fiery, the other looking as though their fire had been extinguished long ago. Finally, Squall smiled.

"Yeah. She is." Almost beside himself, Laguna grabbed his only son in a hug, tears rolling out of his eyes. The others turned away, pretending they hadn't seen them and didn't feel that fuzzy thing people get when they feel happy. It could have been a year before Laguna let go, but Squall didn't notice nor would have cared. He had a father. The one thing he had lacked for seventeen years. Irvine coughed.

"I'm heading back to my town," Laguna said, letting go of Squall. "Are you… going to come?" Squall looked 'round at his friends, all looking apprehensive, and his eyes finally rested on Rinoa. She was smiling, though in a sort of forced way, as though she was dreading his answer.

"I- I can't." Laguna looked from him, to Rinoa and nodded, smiling.

"I understand perfectly." Grinning at the rest of them, Laguna scratched at his head gently. "Keep in touch, all right?" They nodded, Squall smiling so much Irvine thought his face would crack. "But…" he continued, "where will you stay if you're here? I need to have an address to send letters to, right?" Squall thought hard for a moment.

"I could just… stay at the inn." Rinoa looked at him, weighing her options before finally stepping forward.

"Ever since… my father died, I have that house a few miles out. It has tons of extra rooms, and… I'd like it if you came and stayed. Provided anyone else has a suggestion…?" she quickly finished.

"Oh, no, no room with me," Zell said quickly.

"Sunk," Selphie laughed.

"Please, my room can hardly fit me!" Quistis said. The rest were resounding no's, accompanied with several sniggers at their devious plans. Laguna grinned again, eyes regaining their malicious glint.

"Well, it's settled then." He walked off into the stable and came back on a brown horse. "I'll send you a letter soon. Bye!" he called, riding off toward the exit. Squall watched him leave, a small smile on his face.

"Hey, come on," Irvine said, putting a hand on Squall's shoulder. "Let's go see Rinoa's house."

"I'll go get your stuff!" Selphie said, Quistis and Zell following her into the inn. Irvine and Ashimoka ducked into the shadows, leaving Rinoa and Squall alone.

"I should… go get Angelo," Rinoa muttered, starting to walk away. Squall grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer.

"Not yet. Thank you… for everything," he whispered. Finally, they kissed, and fireworks erupted in the sky as they erupted in their hearts. Everything was right with the world. Squall had to thank the werewolves and Ultimecia. If it hadn't been for her, he would never have met Rinoa. I guess that's what we are… Squall thought. We're the Children of Fate. Almost like an echo, a lion's roar bounded across the plains, harmonizing with a wolven howl.

Well… all I can say is thank you. You guys stuck with me, and it's thanks to you and this story that I've grown as an author. If I could, I'd hug you guys. Reviews, then I'm going to move on to the epilogues and this story will be completed. Amazing that I lasted this long… I have you guys to thank!

Hope Always- Yay for the end, right? I'm glad everyone loved the last chapter, I had so much fun writing it!

EJ- Not quite. Seifer's a good guy in his heart, and watching Irvine and the gang bleed to death brought that out in him. He would have survived, because there were no pure-blood wolves left. Thanks for sticking with this story!

Verdanii- Thanks. I… I'm not sure about the Squall's mom comment… but hey, you make me laugh, that's a good thing. Thanks!

Lady Rinoa- Your comments kept this story going, thank you guys all SO much!

Kitsu- He's okay! He'll make apperances in the epilogues, too!

It's not quite over, I still have the epilogues to do! There will be two versions of the END end. One will take place in the west, the other in a modernized setting. I hope you all read it, then transfer over to my next fic when I get them up!

LONG LIVE SQUINOA FLUFF!

Grieverwings